Landing and launching device



J. F.. CHANCE.

LANDING AND LAUNCHING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT-2, 1919.

Patented Dec. 7,1920.

- UNITED STATES."

JOHN FORESTER chance, or" rn'rnnsnuno; new YORK.

namame AND naimcrirne DEVICE.

'- Specification of Letters fatent. Pat t d D 7 1920.

Application nia October 2,1919. 1 Serial in. 327,841,

To all whom itmwycom'ern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. GRANGE, a

, citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Petersbur in the county of Rensselaer and State 0 vNew-York, have invented a new and Improved Landing and LaunchingDevice, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved landing and launching device for air vehicles, particularly airplanes of the monoplane or biplane type.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby an air vehicle may be launched in a; comparatively restricted area, that is to say, making it unnecessary for thevehicle to traverse a long distance with a gradual ascent. The same. advantages are ained in landing the vehicle, in that the evice may be used to facilitate bringing the vehicle to earth in a'small running space, and without the danger of damage: I I L Referring 'to the drawings whlch illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is shown for-the purpose of 1llus-' tration, as applied to an air veh cle of the biplane type.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of. a-conventional type of biplane,a s shown in the application of the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan-view of the lower wing of the biplane with the improved device associated therewith. A and A represent the lowerand to wings of the convention type of biplane;

the landing chassis; C,-the fuselage, and D,

the qopeller, which is driven by the engine According to thepreferred form of the present -invention,'one of the wings, either A or A, but preferably the lower one-A, is cut away to provide relatively large open- 1ngs5, one at each of its outerends, overwhich a spider-supporting means 6 is located to provide a mounting for the jack shafts 7 of the propellers 8. The 'wingbigs .cut away as at 5, to prevent air pockets ing formed around the propellers by the wing A deflecting the air away from the vicinity of the propellers.

Disposed arallel with the wing A are the driving sha s 9 one of which being located on each side of the axis of drive for the vehicle, and connected in driving relation with the propellers 8 through the bevel gears the vehicle, the effect being greatl tated by the cut-away portions of t e wing,

-Suitable journal bearings 11 are provided on the wlng. to si ipport the shaft with freedom of'rotation. he opposite ends of the shafts are each provided with bevel gears 12,'wh1ch are adapted to mesh with a sliding gear 13 onthe' end of the motor.

leaving unobstructed air passages through the wing.

- In realizing the advantages of the construction contemplated by the invention,'at the time of launching, the pilot will manipulate the lever 14-to connect the shafts 9 in driving relation with the motor, whereupon the propellers may be brought into actlon, thus enabling the machine to rise without the customary gradual climb.

In 'landing, the device may again be brought into use, only in this instance will act more or less as a brake or retarder and permit the machine to he landed in a relatively restricted space.

- I claim:

' The combination with an aeroplane having upper and lower wings and a fusela e;

proximity to the outer ends thereof and substantially parallel therewith, bearings on said wings supportingl said shafts for rotation, the lower wings aying openings therethrough, spider-supporting means arranged upon the lower planes over the openings,

shafts journaled in said sup ortin means 'and geared to the outer en s-oft e firstnamed shafts, horizontal propellers carried by the u per ends of the second-named shafts an spaced above the lower wings andlocated between' the wings, a prime mover carried by the fuselage, and means to connect the prime mover with the inner ends of the first named shafts at will, the opgni' 5 formed by cutting away the wings nea the propellers serving to prevent the air banking against the lower wings beneath. the propellers. I

JOHNFORESTER GRANGE.

facili- .of a pair of horizontal shafts journa ed upon the lower wings :and extending in 

